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'North facing' trellis

AstraeusAstraeus Posts: 336
in Plants
Evening all,

We're putting a fairly open trellis along the southern boundary of our garden, such that it'll in effect be a north facing trellis. We plan to grow a grapevine over the top of the trellis (along a single pergola) but I'm looking for something to cloak the 3x2m trellis itself.

Would star jasmine work in this setting?

Thanks, 

A.

Posts

  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    I'm thinking whatever you plant on the trellis might have other ideas and poke through to the south side.
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • AstraeusAstraeus Posts: 336
    B3 said:
    I'm thinking whatever you plant on the trellis might have other ideas and poke through to the south side.
    'Tis a concern!

    I don't (and my neighbour certainly won't) mind some of it poking through but I'd quite enjoy the benefit of some of the foliage, flowers and scent of whatever we plant.

    Surely someone's planted on a northerly trellis and enjoyed the fruits of their labour?
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    I'd personally go for a shade tolerant repeat rambler or climbing rose. But then, I would. It could look great with a grape vine running along the top.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    "Would star jasmine work in this setting?"
    Only if you live somewhere it would survive, but if a grapevine would, then it might be ok, although I don't think it would be the best for it, and would just try and grow through to the sunnier side.

    It would just be better to plant something which likes the aspect. Loads of plants would grow there. Many varieties of Clematis especially. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • KT53KT53 Posts: 9,016
    We have a north facing trellis, also open to the south, and clematis Freckles absolutely smothers it and has lots of flowers on the north side.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Pretty much all the early small flowered clems will be fine, although the soil needs to be suitable for many of them - ie drier, and lots of the larger flowered clems prefer a bit of shade because the flowers get bleached with too much sun. The dark ones especially. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    We also have Clem. Freckles on a northfacing trellis. It’s as happy as Larry there and covered with flowers all winter and spring. I was watching bluetits raiding the seedheads for nesting material just yesterday. 😊 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • AstraeusAstraeus Posts: 336
    Well, thank you all.

    With two real world lived examples, it looks like Freckles is the way to go!
  • NollieNollie Posts: 7,529
    I have left the top of my southern fence, so north-facing bed, more open at the top with alternate horizontal planks, so a similar situation and kind of trellis effect. I’ve stretched and pinned mosquito netting to the rear of the open planks to allow some light in but encourage the climbing roses there to stay on my side and not adorn the roadside instead. I don’t know whether it will work yet or whether their little faces will be pressed up against the netting begging to be set free 😊 
    Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
  • AstraeusAstraeus Posts: 336
    Nollie said:
    I have left the top of my southern fence, so north-facing bed, more open at the top with alternate horizontal planks, so a similar situation and kind of trellis effect. I’ve stretched and pinned mosquito netting to the rear of the open planks to allow some light in but encourage the climbing roses there to stay on my side and not adorn the roadside instead. I don’t know whether it will work yet or whether their little faces will be pressed up against the netting begging to be set free 😊 
    That's a really good idea. I will certainly look at that once the clematis has established.
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